Politics

BARABOO, Wis. (AP) _ A Baraboo attorney running for the state Assembly says a conservative group pulled its support because of another endorsement from a gay rights group.

Last month, Wisconsin Family Action's Political Action Committee announced its endorsement of Republican Ashton Kirsch in the 81st Assembly District race. However, its director, Julaine Appling, issued a statement this week saying Kirsch's position on marriage rights doesn't align with her group's.

``Unfortunately, it has become apparent to us in recent weeks that Mr. Kirsch's position on our most important issue, marriage, is different from what we understood it to be as we went through the endorsement process,'' she said. ``We have worked directly with Mr. Kirsch in attempting to clarify his values and beliefs related to the foundational institution of marriage. At the end of the discussions, we realized his position was enough different from ours that we could not endorse him.''

Kirsch said he believes the state of Wisconsin, and not its courts, has the right to regulate marriage via the 10th Amendment. He said churches also have the right to decide who can get married.

He was endorsed last week by the Log Cabin Republicans of Wisconsin, a conservative group that supports the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, the Baraboo News Republic reported (http://bit.ly/1p1G74r ).

Kirsch said Wisconsin Family Action wasn't OK with the endorsement, even though he didn't actively seek it.

``I didn't go out and meet with them,'' he said. ``I received a phone call and told them my views.''